Vancouver Coastal Health and Northern Health had the highest rates of drug toxicity deaths during the first seven months of the year, according to a report released Wednesday by the B.C. Coroner.
As of the end of July, the rates were 47 and 46 deaths respectively per 100,000 population, while the overall rate for B.C. was 40 deaths per 100,000 residents.
There were 77 such deaths in Northern Health compared to 130 for all of 2020, the worst year on record, with the Northwest Health Service Delivery Area accounting for 23, Northern Interior for 13 and Northeast for 18.
Prince George was home to 27 of those fatalities, compared to 58 for 2020.
In July, there were 12 such deaths in Northern Health, with the Northwest Health accounting for seven, Northern Interior for three and Northeast for two.
B.C.-wide, the findings show deaths reached 184 in July, the second-highest ever recorded in a single month in the province.
The report comes less than a month after chief coroner Lisa Lapointe said January to June was the deadliest ever for drug toxicity in B.C.
With data from July added, the report says the 1,204 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths are the highest ever in the first seven months of a year — 28 per cent above the same period last year.
Lapointe says an average of almost six people died every day in July, with 72 per cent between the ages of 30 and 59, while men accounted for nearly 80 per cent of the total fatalities.
Deaths involving fentanyl stayed at 86 per cent, unchanged from 2020, but the report says deaths linked to extreme fentanyl concentrations jumped to 13 per cent from eight per cent.
The ultrapowerful opioid carfentanil was detected in 113 deaths this year, compared with 65 over the same period last year.
When Lapointe released her last report in August, covering drug toxicity deaths over the first half of the year, she said it was "tremendously frustrating" to see the lack of significant progress in stemming fatalities.
The new report says Vancouver Coastal Health and Northern Health have the highest rates of drug toxicity deaths with 47 and 46 deaths respectively per 100,000 population, while the overall rate is 40 deaths per 100,000 residents.
Communities with the highest rates include Merritt, Powell River, Enderby, Peace River South, and Hope, says the report.
Most overdoses in 2021 have been indoors, in private homes, while data show 15 per cent have happened outside in vehicles, parks, sidewalks or streets.
No deaths have been reported at supervised consumption or drug overdose prevention sites, the report says.
- with files from The Canadian Press
